By GEORGE ODOK

Samuel Mbet-Obong, former player of the Under 17 Nigerian Team, has appealed to members of the public for financial assistance to help him undergo an osteoarthritis surgery.

Mbet-Obong, who played in the Rwanda 2011 Under 17 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, wearing jersey number 17, made the appeal while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Calabar.

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that occurs when flexible tissue at the end of bones wears down.

He said he discovered he had a knee problem while in training, and thereafter, he started playing with the help of knee guard and taking drugs that relieved the pains.

According to him, on Aug. 29, 2010, they played the first match of the AFCON U17 qualifiers against the Republic of Congo in Pointe Noire, Congo, with the Nigerian team losing to Congo by 2-0.

On the return leg in Nigeria, he said that he could not play the match because his knee had started affecting his performance.

“We couldn’t proceed beyond the qualifier stage because at home, the Nigerian U-17 team played 1-1 draw with the Republic of Congo and so they won by a 3-1 aggregate.

“I was playing in Kwara academy before they spotted me to play in the U-17 qualifiers. I was 16 years then.

“Sadly, I couldn’t graduate with my team mates from Kwara academy to be signed by different clubs across the globe, hence my football career came to an end.

“My former club, Kwara Academy, took me then for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and it was discovered that there is meniscus tear inside my knee.

“The Medical team that carried out the scan said I will require to go for a knee surgery before I can play football again,” he said.

he said over the years, he had continued to endure the pains, hence the need for the ‘save our soul’ message to members of the public.

Mbet-Obong is currently a final year student of the Department of History and International Studies, University of Calabar and also, a former Director of Sport in the department.

He appealed to public spirited individuals, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Nigerian strikers Ahmed Musa, Kelechi Iheanacho, Victor Osimen, Alex Iwobi, Mikel Obi, and many others to come to his aide.

While soliciting for help, he gave out his contact number as 08135578008. (NAN)